West Cumbria’s bumper money race to end the season happened today.
The birds were liberated today at 10.15am in Weymouth.
They were put up in a north east wind and faced a 280-mile trip back home, along with other birds from the North West of England who faced shorter flights.
A total of 37 lofts have sent to the race and 112 birds will be competing for the £22,900 of prize money on offer.
The breeder and racer/buyer of the winning pigeon will earn £3,000 each with £1,500 each for second and £1,250 each for third.
That goes down to 15th when there will be £100 for each.
There is also a £10 nomination in which 30 birds are entered and there will be three prizes of £150, £100 and £50.
Previous winners Richard Martindale and George Lawman have eight competing; Rodgers and Benn of Cleator Moor, super consistent over the years in this race have six; Ian and Denise Wood, also previous winners have six.
Other strong teams have been sent by Joe and Brian Fitzsimmons and Rushforth and Hunter, with each loft having seven at the race.
The race proved a particularly hard one for Cumbrian fanciers but one terrific pigeon made it back to Cleator Moor and the loft of Rodgers and Benn, who are previous winners and have consistently been among the prizes over the years.
They clocked at 6.57pm after the 272 miles fly from Weymouth to earn the partners £3,000 while the same amount will go to the breeder, the legendary Carlisle fancier Tommy Gilbertson.
Hopes were fading for a Cumbria arrival as the Lancashire and Merseyside pigeons contesting the race with the North West Grand National Flying Club were not getting in until late.
Birds were clocked in Warrington at 5.15pm and in Blackpool, a clutch of them after 5.20pm.
The race goes into a second day so fanciers will be at their lofts early hoping that their feathered friends have spent the night safely and completed the trip home.
